Car-brake



(No Model.)

A. H. MARD EN.

GAR BRAKE.

Patented Dec. 13, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALDIS H. MARDEN, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,798, dated December13, 1887.

Application filed July 9, 1887. Serial No. 243,813. (No model.)

' ings, forming part of this specification, in

which- Figure 1 is an enlarged side elevation, one

' brake-head and a portion only of the beam being shown; Fig.2, anenlarged end elevation, the beam and link being shown in verticalsection; Fig. 3, an enlarged side elevation of the clamp, represented asattached to the beam, the latter being shown in vertical section; Fig.4, an enlarged side clevation'of the members of the clamp detached;Fig.5, an enlarged end View of the members of the clamp detached; Fig.6, atop plan view of the beam,

brake-heads, and clamp connected; and Fig. 7, a perspective view showingone of the notches in the end of the beam.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe drawings.

' My invention relates more especially to the beam of the brake and itsimmediately-connected parts; and it consists in a novel construction andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed,the objectbeing to produce a stronger and more durable and efiectivedevice of this character than is now in ordinary use.

'The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all conversant with such matters from the following explanation:

In the drawing, A represents the beam, B B the brake-heads, and C thelever-clamp.

The heads are designed to be respectively suspended from the truck bylinks D, and are provided with shoes and otherwise constructed in theordinary manner; excepting as hereinafter set forth.

The beam A is composed of iron or steel rolled or pressed into shape,and consists of a flat web or body, m, having a double flange orT-shaped edge, f, at one side and a rib, m,- at the opposite side, andis so arranged when in position for use that the web at will he in ahorizontal or nearly horizontal-position, or so scription.

ranged as to leave a portion of the web m and v the rib a: projectingfrom the heads, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The beam is secured in the heads in the following manner: A notch, r,correspondingin' width with the thickness of the brake-head'at thatpoint where the beam is inserted, is cut in the lower edge of theflangef, and the verticalpart of the mortise which receives the flangefof the beam is made slightly longer or higher than the height of saidflange, so that when the beam is inserted a portion of the brake-headwill enter the notch r as the beam drops into position in the head. Akey, 1), is then driven into the mortise in the head above the flangef,and its point bent down, as shown at t, thereby securely locking thebeam and head together in a manner which will be readily obvious withouta more explicit de- It will of course be understood that each end of thebeam is provided with a notch, 1', and that each of the heads is securedto the beam substantially as described.

The notches 1' may be formed in the upper edge of the flange f, ifpreferred, in which case the ,keys 1; will of course be inserted belowthe flange instead of above it.

The beam A is curved outward in the line or direction of the strain, asshown in Fig. 6, the curve preferably terminating at 2 near each end ofthe beam, in order that the heads,

when attached to the beam, may stand in proper position with respect tothe wheels of the truck.

The beam may be constructed straight instead'ofcurved, if desired; but Ideem a curved one preferable, as it is much stronger and less liable tobend or spring under a heavy strain.

The lever-clamp O is secured to the center of the beam by the bolts andnuts Z h, as best seen in Figs. 1, 3,'and 6.

The clamp is composed of two members or halves, g 70, each of which isprovided at its rear end with a flange, i,- and at its front end with anarm, I), said flanges being provided with holes for receiving the bolt 1and said arms with holes w, for receiving the bolt h. The

arms b respectively project horizontally from the bodies of the members9 k and are arranged diagonally thereon and in parallelism with eachother to properly receive the brake-lever, (not shown,) which isinserted between them and pivoted therein by a bolt, (not shown,) whichpasses through the holes y near their outer ends.

The member k of the clamp is provided with a shoulder or rabbet, 14,against which the lower corner, 15, of the body of the member 9 restswhen the members are joined and in position on the beam, and the member9 is provided with a shoulder or rabbet, 16, against which the uppercorner, 17, of the body of the member it rests when the members arejoined and in position on the beam, these shoulders being very essentialto prevent said members from swinging independently on the bolt landbecoming loose. The member It is provided with a deep transverse groove,9', for receiving the lower edge of the flange f, and the member g witha corresponding groove, j, for receiving the upper edge of said flange.The member 7a is also provided with a short outwardly-projecting lip orflange, 24, on which the lower portion of the inner end of the arm I) onthe member 9 rests when the members are joined, the member 9 beingprovided with a corresponding outwardly-projecting lip or flange, 25,which rests on the upper portion of the inner end of the arm b on themember k when the members are joined and in position on the beam, saidlips or flanges acting as braces to strengthen the arms and keep themsteady.

In attaching the clamp to the beam a hole is drilled centrally in theweb m for the reception of the bolt Z, and the members 9 k, placed onthe T-shaped portion of the beam with their front edges, 20 and 21, incontact,

, heads B B, as would have to be done if all the members of the clampwere integral and the clamp provided with a mortise or opening forreceiving the T-shaped portion of the beam.

The object of the rib ac is to strengthen thebeam and keep the web orbody mfrom twisting or warping under a heavy strain. It is preferablymade round in cross-section, but may be made of any other suitableshape.

I do not confine myself to securing the beam in the head by means of thenotch r and key 1:, as it may be secured in any other suitable manner;neither do I confine myself to the use of the sockets 14 and 16, as oneor both may be omitted; nor thelips or flanges 24 and 25 in the membersk g, as the same may be dispensed with, if desired, although I deem itpreferable to employ them; nor to attaching the clamp O to the beam bymeans of the bolts an improvement on the brake secured to me by saidLetters Patent.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is-- V 1. In acar-brake of the character described and having a metallic beamconnected with a brake-head at each end, a clamp for the brakelever,said clamp comprising two separable members and being adapted to beattached to or removed from the beam without removing either of saidheads, substantially as described.

2. In a car-brake of the character described, the combination of thefollowing instrumentalities, to wit: a curved metallic beam, two brakeheads connected with said beam, a clamp for the brake-lever, and meansfor securing the clamp on the beam, said clamp comprising two separablemembers and being adapted to be attached toor removed from the beamwithout removing either of said heads, substantially as set forth.

3. The clamp O, composed ofthe members g h, each of said members beingprovided with a flange, 'i, groove j, and diagonally-arranged arm b,each of said flanges being provided with a bolt-hole, and each of saidarms with holes to y, substantially as described.

4. The member k, provided with the shoulder or socket 14: and corner 17,in combination with the member g, provided with the shoulder or socket16 and corner 15, said corners being respectively adapted torest in saidsockets when said members are joined, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. The member k, provided with the flange 24, arm b, and flange i, incombination with the member 9, provided with the flange 25, arm b, andflange 'i, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a car-brake of the character described, the clamp G, composed oftwo members or halves, beam A, bolts and nutsl h, and heads B B,combined and arranged substantially as described.

7. In a car-brake substantially such as described, the combination of acurved metallic beam consisting of a T-shaped bar provided with astrengthening-rib on the edge opposite the double flange or cross, twobrake-heads in which the beam is secured, a clamp for the brake-lever,and bolts and nuts for securing the clamp to the beam, said clampcomprising two separable members and being adapted to be attached to andremoved from thebeam without removing either of the brake-heads,substantially as set forth.

WVitnesses: ALDIS H. M ARDEN.

O. M. SHAW, -E. L. SAWYER.

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